Attaching sails to ships  yards



UNITED STATES PATENT JOI-IN LEWIS, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

ATTACHI-NG SAILS TO SHIPS YARDS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,582, dated November 6, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LEWIS, of Elizabeth, in the county of Essex andState of New Jersey, have invented, made, and applied to use a certainnew and useful Improvement in Attaching Sails to Spar-s; and I do herebydeclare that the 'following is a full, clear, and' exact description ofthe nature of my said invention, reference being had to the annexeddrawing, making part of this specication, wherein- Figure l, is a planot' a portion of a spar with my means fitted thereto for attaching thesail. Fig. 2, is a section of the spar showing the chain ear-ring. Fig.3, is a section of my clamp, and Fig. 4, is a section of my hasp.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

In attaching sails to yards itis usual to have a rod on the upper sideof the yard, and in bending the sails they are secured to this rod byseizings; a second rod is provided to form a reeng jack stay. This modeof attaching the sails involves considerable trouble and expense inbending the sails, and no ready means is furnished for detaching thesail when in port or when otherwise necessary.

The nature of my said invention consists in a series of movable clampssecured to the yard or other spar, and receiving the head rope of thesail and also in a movable and adjustable ear-ring that takes the angleor corner of the sail and holds the same firmly to the yard or spar.

In the drawing a, is a portion of a yard or spar and represents onecorner of a sail.

c, is my improved clamp that is to be applied along on the yard or spar,at convenient and suit-able distances apart. It is however preferable toplace these clamps so as to take the head or inclosing rope of the sailwhere there is a seam in the canvas. Each of these clamps is attached bya screw bolt cl, passing nearly through the center thereof and having ahead, as seen in Fig. 3, that presses at the point 2, over the curvedhollow toe piece 3 that receives the head rope of the sail so as toclamp the same iirmly to the spar.

The rear or heel of the clamp rests on the spar, and is provided witheyes l, l, through which a life line e, is passed, or

the same may receive a reefing rod in the same position, so as todispense with the separate reefing jack stay heretofore in use forreeting the sails. The bolt l setting into a socket in the clamp c, asrepresented allows for disconnecting the sail by simply turning saidbolt d by a marline spike inserted into the eye thereof, and the T headof said bolt coming into this socket or recess allows the toe part 3 ofthe clamp to be raised and the head rope entirely freed, which is agreat convenience as the clamps c, do not require disconnecting from thespar.

The thimble g in the corner of the sail is fitted as usual, and to thisI connect my earring by means of the hasp f. The ear-ring is formed ofthe chain it', at one end of which is the metal box z', containing a nutthat takes the screw m, passing through the fork catch 7L. This forkcatch 7L, is made as an open or skeleton connection; at the part 7 is afork taking the link of the chain as said chain is passed around thespar, andby this chain my ear-ring can be adapted to any size of yard orspar, and clamped rmly thereto by the screw m, after the proper link ofthe chain has been dropped into the said fork 7 at 8, on this catch It,is a rib running longitudinally of the spar and taking a groove madetherein so that the earring cannot turn on the spar. The clasp 71 alsoreceives one end of the hasp that is formed to take the sail thimble gand litted so that the upper part f, can be opened on the joint (i, forentering or withdrawing the said thimble g, and when the parts f, f, areshut together the stud 5 takes the strain and the button 4 secures thehasp together.

It will now be apparent that my device not only secures the sail veryfirmly to the spar, but that it furnishes facility for easilydisconnecting the same and that without the cost of the seizingsheretofore required whenever the sails were to be bent, and my ear-ringis adapted to different spars or different parts of the same spar, andis easily adjusted and secured in place.

That I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is*- 1. The clampsc, c, fitted and acting sub stantially as set forth to retain the sailto the yard or spar, or allow of its being disconnected as specified.

2. The ear-ring formed of the chain f,

fork 7L, and screw m, to firmly clamp or my signature this eighteenthday of October grasp the yard or spar regardless of the seize 1860.

as set forth. Y. 4

3. The hasp, (f, 70,) in combination With JOHN LEVIS' 5 the ear-ring inthe manner and for the pur- Witnesses:

poses specified. LEMUEL W. SERRELL,

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set THos. GEO. HAROLD.

